Blooming
by Gregory Dolnand
Summary: Blooming revised. Sanzo is turning into a youkai. And Goku has to win him over Death.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 01**_

The jeep stopped in the middle of the wood. According to the map that Hakkai bought in the last town, they would last more three days to go to the next village. They got out of the car, starting building their tents. The monocled man went to make dinner. Grumbling could be heard from the hanyou and the monkey king. Sanzo was the only one who didn't participate in this happy family. Instead, he found himself wandering in the dark forest, an unlit cigarette between his mouths. That wasn't usual for Sanzo to be gone alone like that. He had a reason. An unbelievable one.

Sanzo was, though slowly, turning into a youkai.

Sanzo has noticed his changes since he had killed the first youkai. As the number of monsters dying under his hand rose quickly, the changes were shown even more obvious. Sanzo could feel, physically, that his ears were becoming pointy and that his nails were more difficult to be cut once a week. After the Chin Yisou event, whenever he killed a youkai, he felt as if his blood was boiling, as if encouraging him to finish off more and more monsters. Especially when these feeling went stronger in the last month, regardless of the youkai limiter that he bought just a few weeks ago. This youkai limiter had his form as a ring. Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku had all asked the priest its origin, and had all received a simple answer: 'Somebody I know asked me to keep it for him' The ring fit perfectly his index finger, and it was said by the seller to be able to control a huge amount of evil aura. Although Sanzo didn't believe the seller's words, he still bought it, as the last solution he would ever think of.

Worry and slight fear wormed his way in Sanzo's mind as he thought of his three friends. They, of course, had to sense his abnormality. Despite the fact that they didn't show anything, Sanzo could say that they must have known, or at least, have noticed.

'Sanzo! Dinner's ready! Sanzoooo…!!!'

'Ok, ok, stupid monkey!'

Sanzo went back to the tents, where his three fellows were waiting. The food was hot and delicious, but the priest really didn't feel like eating.

'Hey monk, what's wrong with you? You've been acting like shit all the time!'

The complaint coming from the annoyed redhead somewhat startled Sanzo, who was in the middle of thoughts. Quickly, the monk covered by his everyday-droopy face: 'None of your business'

'Really, Sanzo,' Hakkai spoke up 'Gojyo is right. My intention is not to disturb you, but if there is something that is wrong with you, you need to say it out'

'I don't see anything wrong with being uncomfortable after a whole day stuck in a car with a goddamn bunch of idiot guys,' retorted Sanzo stubbornly 'I go to sleep'

You can't lie to the people who know you best. Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku all saw the unstability in the priest's deep amethyst eyes. They chose to ignore him, since they knew that it wasn't yet the right time to ask.

---

The Sanzo-ikkou finally arrived to a town at sunset. It was small and poor, plus, it seemed like the villagers have never been attacked by youkais. So, the four knew that they couldn't stay long.

This town rarely received any travelers; therefore, the only inn here was very miserable. Two rooms that Hakkai booked for the whole group were considered 'suite', but still, they were only one quarter of normal rooms in normal inns. The ikkou had to put up with this anyway. Hakkai was to first to choose to room with Gojyo but since Sanzo didn't want to hear Goku's snore, the hanyou had to pair up with the priest. The night quickly fell as they all drifted to sleep after a long day.

Around midnight, Sanzo woke up. He couldn't sleep anymore. Not only the night birds' sing disturbed him, his anxiousness and sleeplessness also had killed his slumber. The priest decided to have a walk around the village.

The weather was pleasant. Light breeze caressed the skin, somehow made Sanzo feel more comfortable. Absolute silence reigned this entire place. Sanzo stopped at a bench and lit a cigarette. To him, the timing was perfect to be left alone and enjoy a Marlboro cigarette, forget all things these days. Still, his mind was filled with thoughts.

'Sanzo'

Sanzo twitched. Not that the disturber had violently dragged him out of his thinking, he also ruined the priest's precious time.

'Goku, what the hell are you doing here? Go to sleep'

'I won't, Sanzo' Goku stood in front of him, replying firmly.

'Why?'

'I know you're hiding something from all of us, Sanzo. And this 'something' is hurting you'

'Why would I do that, hurting myself?'

'You've been changing. Even a five-year-old kid can notice'

Sanzo didn't say anything. Turning away from the monkey king, he knew Goku was right. In an instant, he felt so painful in the finger as if the ring just squeezed it.

'_Sanzo!'_

Scream. Dead youkais' scream. Gunshots. Blood. Dead bodies. Pulps of decaying flesh. Sanzo held his head tight, tears flowing from the glowing amethyst eyes.

'Sanzo? Are you all right?'

He couldn't control it anymore.

'Sanzo, what's wrong?'

'LEAVE ME ALONE! STOP BUGGING ME! GET LOST! FUCK OFF!'

Goku stopped dead, staring at his master's frightful face. Sanzo now looked like an enraged monster. The monkey king stepped forward: 'Sanzo-'

Not letting Goku finished, Sanzo ran as fast as he could into the deep forest, where the darkness was always ready to swallow his soul…

---

Guys, please, review for me!!!


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 02**_

The monkey king would have stood frozen for hours, if Hakkai and Gojyo didn't storming out of their rooms due to the horrible scream. Hakkai was the first to ask.

'Goku, what just happened? Where is Sanzo?'

'I… I don't know…' Goku was still dumbstruck that his voice couldn't be clear 'Sanzo… he… I know he's been acting weird so I went to ask him… but… he said nothing… screamed… and ran into the forest…'

'We have to find him and bring back. He's not safe anymore' was all the monocled man's reply.

---

The scream has stopped. Dead bodies disappeared. No more blood. But Sanzo felt worst than ever.

The large bower was the only thing that kept the rain from soaking Sanzo. Still, the monotone sound of rain drop was driving him crazy. The priest wore only a pair of jeans and a leather black shirt. Water kept invading his now-turning-pale skin, freezing his lungs. The ring started squeezing his finger again. Sanzo bit himself to take over the pain and to keep him awake. Meanwhile, the rain didn't show any sign of ceasing.

'_Master Koumyou…'_

'I wish I hadn't killed those bastards… I…' It was so hard for his dry throat to form just a soliloquy.

'Well well well, what do we have here?'

Sanzo looked up to see who was coming. Under the rain, his eyes were only able to detect the dimnish figure of two people. His still-shape instinct told him they were youkais. He wanted to run away, but couldn't. His limbs were all frozen.

'Trying to run away, aren't you? A helpless prey in the rain. What a perfect timing'

One of them bent over, lifted Sanzo's chin to look clearer. Then he snickered: 'You almost look like a girl. What shall we do now, pal?'

'Don't tell me you're talking of that perverted thing' the other sneered.

They dragged Sanzo into a dry cave, which was not so far from here, and began ripping his clothes off. The priest has no force to fight back. Running and paining had already taken away all his strength. Searing pain ran throughout his spine but he didn't feel it anymore. Life energy escaped from him every thrust he was given…

Maybe it would be too late to wait for the light to shine at the end of the dark tunnel…

'_ARRRGHHHHHHHHHH!!!'_

Scream.

Fresh blood spilled on everything, tainted red Sanzo's face. Two heavy bodies tumbled down, remaining motionless.

The ring on Sanzo's finger was broken into pieces, showing its dull color from the inside.

Sanzo slowly stood up. He was naked from head to toes. Black vine ran throughout his bodies like a spider web. Fang showed up. Pointy ears replaced human's ones. Pupil became yellow and cats-liked.

Sanzo was dead. But a youkai, a powerful one, was born. Without any restraint.

The light has really shone at the end of the dark tunnel. But what kind of light was it, bringing more pain?

---

'Quick! Sanzo's just somewhere here! I still can smell him!'

Gojyo, Hakkai and Goku have searched in the forest for almost an hour. The rain was the main reason that slowed them down, by swallowing Sanzo's track. Their footsteps, though slowly, were becoming heavier; their breath shortened. But they all knew that finding Sanzo was foremost.

'There! Found him!' exclaimed Goku. The voice was overjoyed, yet somewhat fidgety.

'We're too late'

Looking after Hakkai's finger, they immediately understood.

The creature that stood in front of them, growling, definitely wasn't Sanzo anymore. It was a youkai. The youkai that has taken over Sanzo. The youkai that has stolen Sanzo from them.

'Goku, Gojyo, watch out!'

Right after Hakkai's yell, the youkai started attacking. He dashed at the hanyou first with incredible speed. The stunned Gojyo couldn't keep up with dodging, receiving a punch right in the stomach. Blood spilled from him mouth, reddened the ground. Hakkai managed to make an energy shield as he tried to heal his friend the fastest he could. Only Goku was left to deal with the demon. His nyoibou continuously hit the air, yet Sanzo succeeded in dodging them without any effort. The monkey king had to yell for help:

'Hakkai! Are you finished? He's way too strong I can't fight him alone!'

Hakkai already decided. He took off his youkai limiter.

'Oh no, Hakkai…'

Goku was petrified witnessing the monocled man transform. Black vine surrounded his whole body, nails and teeth getting sharper, ears becoming pointy. Sensing the appearance of another powerful youkai, Sanzo turned back to him, smirking.

Two youkais assailed each other. Gojyo and Goku couldn't tell who was going to win. Deadly blows were exchanged in the blink of an eye. Hakkai was careful not to let Sanzo hit him, but the youkai-priest was bright enough to find out his weakness. Playing up Hakkai's mistake, Sanzo immediately plunged the razor-shaped claws into his stomach. The youkai let out a painful howl when the other threw him right into a haulm, like a dead rat.

'Hakkai!!'

The blond youkai stood there, the invincible smirk still reigning on his flawless but blood-tainted face.

Goku had no choice. He raised hands high, ready to throw away the golden diadem.

'No need to do that, son' a voice stopped him.

'Kanzeon Bosatsu!'

The black-haired lady let out a laugh: 'Mine, mine, you let yourselves being beaten like this? My nephew is so reckless' Then her face changed 'Goku, this is another heaven-made limiter. Sanzo's demonic power is somewhere near your level. Try to make he wear this before it's too late'

Hollow mist rose along with her disappearance. The bracelet fell on the ground.

'Ok guys, we need teamwork'

Gojyo and Goku got what Hakkai said. They had to bring the true Sanzo back. The fight started, again, with three desperate men who were betting their lives to save one.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 05**_

He fell back into consciousness. The light was weak, but it was enough to sting his eyes with their invisible needles. He twitched, wanting to rub the eyes but couldn't with both arms becoming heavy and bandaged. So was his head. He managed to flip his body half a circle, feeling the sharp and pointy shape of the ears wrapped tight by the soft pillow. Slight coldness of metallic earclippers stung him. He conceived it, and welcomed it with an emotionless face. His mind was blank. Blank like the walls of this. Blank like the color of this sheet. Blank like the dullness of his sightless eyes. Blank like his future.

He gathered the left of his poor strength and sat up. His body winced in every move, though his teeth shut tight not to let any of them come out. Efforts were being paid just to turn the doorknob. His three fellows were right out there, behind the wattle wall. It was just a wattle wall that could be crush anytime with just a kick, but to him, it was a great rampart he would never get through. Gojyo stayed home instead of going out for women. Goku rested silent, the usual "I'm hungry" couldn't be heard anymore. Hakkai was the only one who seemed normal. But who knows that behind the sheer curtain of plainness, what kind of emotion could make a rebel?

His legs suddenly got wobble and crumbled at once. Hearing the noise, three people stood up almost immediately. Yet when they arrived, only Hakkai and Gojyo supported him, walking him back to his room. Goku stood there, right before his very eyes. Sanzo could read his thinking easily since he has been the monkey's guardian for years. And what they told the priest wasn't very joyful. They were hurt, hurt by worries, hurt by fear, hurt by loss… and mostly, by Sanzo losing control or being dead. The figure of his dearest person became smaller and smaller, and disappeared by the end of the hall, where Sanzo's room located. He didn't care even if he was being helped by other people; he just knew that Goku was so far… so far from him… Suddenly the priest was scared. He, of course, had consciousness that his Goku wouldn't be stolen anywhere. When has he become so attached?

Hakkai and Gojyo placed him carefully on the softened bed, tucked him in with blanket, told him to be nice to his wounds and left. Their backs were so plain, yet so lonely. They did care about him, too; it was him who has been so selfish to ignore their worry all the times. Gojyo almost sacrificed his arm to pull him up from the bottomless abyss inside the great forest. Hakkai risked his body for him to fire at the maddened Kami. And Goku, the chimp has once bet with his life taking out his golden diadem to save the poisoned priest. He felt helpless. It was him, after all, who bothered everyone. It was he who need their help since he was the weakest, being mere human. Turning into a youkai should have been his business; he should have dealt with it alone, yet now he was just lying here, receiving treatment, wasting the precious time of going to the West. He wasn't worth their care, even their friendship with him.

He might just die, for everyone's sake. Gojyo and Hakkai sure could handle this Gyumaoh stuff, with Kougaiji-tachi's help. Goku, after this, could find somebody else, somebody that was worthier than him. There would be a new Sanzo priest. Everyone would be happy without this burden…

Slowly, not to make a sound, he forced his legs to prop up his body. He made up to the bathroom and managed to open the door with turning the injured wrist. Inside, he found a hair razor. He was going to cut his wrist. His mind imagined a dramatic scene, where his body turned cold in the middle of a pulp of blood, with Gojyo, Hakkai and Goku crying over him. Then the journey continued, the seat next to Hakkai occupied by somebody else with the sutra on shoulders. Gyumaoh was defeated, and Tougenkyo was at its peace again. Such a lovely well-imagined scene, wasn't it?

The moment the knife touched his skin was the same as the moment the bathroom door burst opened, revealing a short, chestnut haired boy. Sanzo stopped dead. Not that he stopped because of the sudden intrusion, but because of Goku's exhausted breath and tearful eyes.

'You really want to leave us that much, Sanzo? Do you really want to?'

Sanzo couldn't answer to the trembling, accusing voice. He just stared sightlessly at the monkey, all "happy ending scene" evaporated.

'You're selfish. So selfish, you know?'

Done speaking, Goku plunged himself into the priest, giving him a tight hug as if he never wanted to lose him. The truth is, he never wanted to. He never give his sun to anyone, even if is death. If Death wanted to take Sanzo away from him, take him along as well. He would leave this world smiling, as long as Sanzo was with him. Without his sun, he might as well die for good.

'Go away, Goku. I deserve to die'

It was painful hearing this. And Goku didn't want to hear, especially when these cruel words came from his dearest one.

'No! I won't go away! You die and I die too! What the hell are you thinking Sanzo…?'

Goku's convincing words seemed useless to the priest. Sanzo didn't move. Blood dripped from where the knife was plunged into. As if ignoring everything else in the world, the sharp metallic thing was getting deeper and deeper inside delicate flesh.

The knife was slapped away before touching the aorta. Goku clung tightly into his master, almost imprisoned his arms. All he has done was to keep Sanzo from cutting himself. He had to win Sanzo over Death. His SUN over Death.

'What the fuck are you trying to do, little monkey!? Leave me alone!'

'What you're doing is wrong, Sanzo! I don't want you to die!'

'This is none of your fucking business! My life depends to me! I'm just a worthless fool, ok? Are you satisfied?!'

SMACK

Amethyst eyes widened.

'You're not a worthless fool, damnit! Listen to me! Everyone needs you! Hakkai, Gojyo, Hakuryuu, Kougaiji-tachi, me! Everyone! Don't make people suffer with your selfishness!'

Goku took a long breath. Sanzo, awakened by his words, hung down his head. The bandages were soaking wet with tears. Two wounded arms stretched out, grasping Goku with all its strength. And Goku knew he had won.

'I thought…' said Sanzo with a trembling voice 'I thought everyone would leave me… like trashes…'

Goku gently patted his head, running fingers through the soft, likeable golden hair. He let the priest snuck into his warm chest like a crying boy. He needed Sanzo as much as Sanzo needed him. Without one, the other will suffer.

Gojyo and Hakkai were right out there, but they had known what happened for a while, and decided not to interfere.

And together, Sanzo-ikkou set the journey again, with a much powerful old member.

THE END.


End file.
